Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): El informe no está completo; todavía falta la última página. - The report isn’t complete; the last page is still missing.

In Spanish, ser generally describes permanent or defining characteristics, while estar expresses temporary states or conditions. Saying el informe no está completo highlights that the report is currently in the state of being incomplete. Using no es completo would sound odd, as it would imply that incompleteness is an inherent, unchangeable trait of the report.

Why is there a semicolon in the middle of the sentence? Could we use a comma or conjunction instead?

The semicolon (;) links two closely related independent clauses:

El informe no está completo
todavía falta la última página
A comma alone would be too weak and could lead to a run-on. You could also use a period (.), a dash (—), or add a conjunction for clarity, for example:
• El informe no está completo, pues todavía falta la última página.
• El informe no está completo porque falta la última página.
But the semicolon keeps the two ideas tightly connected without extra words.

How does faltar work in this sentence? What is the subject, and why is the verb singular?

In todavía falta la última página, the verb faltar means “to be missing.” The subject is la última página (what’s missing), so the verb agrees in number and person with that subject. Because la última página is singular, you use falta. If multiple pages were missing, it would be faltan.

Could we rephrase the second clause as Al informe le falta la última página? What’s the difference?

Yes. Al informe le falta la última página uses faltar with a dative pronoun (le) and a prepositional phrase (al informe), making the report the indirect object: “The report is missing the last page.” It emphasizes the report as lacking something. By contrast, todavía falta la última página neutrally focuses on what is missing without explicitly stating from whom or what.

Could we say El informe está incompleto instead? Is there any nuance?

Absolutely. incompleto is an adjective meaning “incomplete,” so El informe está incompleto is practically equivalent to El informe no está completo. The first uses a single negative adjective, the second uses negation plus adjective. Stylistically, incompleto is concise and common in both speech and writing.

Why is todavía placed before falta? Could we place it elsewhere in the clause?

Positioning todavía just before the verb (todavía falta) is the most neutral way to say “still is missing.” You could also say falta todavía, which shifts the emphasis slightly onto falta. Spanish word order is flexible, so you might also see:
• Todavía falta la última página.
• La última página falta todavía.
However, todavía falta la última página is the most common structure.

What’s the difference between todavía and aún? Do both words need an accent?

todavía and aún are synonyms meaning “still” or “yet.” Key points:
– aún always carries an accent when it means “still/yet.”
– Without an accent (aun), it means “even.”
You can swap them here: Aún falta la última página or Todavía falta la última página—both are correct.

Why do we use la última página with the definite article la? Could we drop it?

We use la because we’re talking about a specific page (the last one of the report). In Spanish, parts of a known or definite entity usually take the definite article. Omitting it (última página falta) would sound ungrammatical; you need la última página or another determiner.

If there were multiple missing pages, how would we change the sentence?

You’d adjust the noun and verb to plural:
• Todavía faltan las últimas páginas.
Or more specifically:
• Todavía faltan dos páginas.

In Latin America, is informe the only option for “report,” or can we use reporte? Are there regional differences?

Both informe and reporte can mean “report.” informe is more formal and universal across Spanish-speaking countries. reporte appears frequently in some Latin American regions (e.g., Mexico, Colombia) and in technical or business contexts. Your choice may depend on style, audience, and local preference, but informe is always safe.